Love Is Just A Memory
by TheCrazyRonnie
Summary: She sacrificed herself for them. And they thought she was dead. They all thought that for 2 years. Two long, lonely and hurtful years. But here she is, standing in front of him, smiling and breathing and he can hear her heart beating strong and evenly. The problem? She doesn't remember him. Please give it a try!
1. Chapter 1

******Okay, so this is just an idea and I just wanted to see how people think of it. So here's the first chapter and if you like it, I'll continued writing.**

* * *

**Love Is Just A Memory**

Chapter 1: Wally

The mission was simple. Observe and report back to Batman. That was it. But there I was, standing on top of a hill, staring at a burning warehouse.

I felt like my lungs burst, but I screamed anyway, I yelled, begged for her name, begged for a miracle. "Artemis!"

My knees buckled under me, my chest tightened, I felt like I was suddenly breaking into a million tiny pieces. It also felt like I was falling. I was yelling, yelling so hard I could barely catch my breath. All I wanted was to feel the ground punch the air out of me already, because no pain was compared to what I was feeling then. But I didn't land, I never did. It was like I was falling in an endless pit and I all I wanted was to get it over with. _Let me die, already_. I was begging for something that I had avoided countless times.

I wanted to run to her, to save her, to protect her like I said I would. Like I _promised_ I would. But my trusty legs failed me; I collapsed on the rocky ground though I still felt like I was free falling. Tears were already running down my cheeks, cooling my burning skin.

The rest of the night was a blur to me. All I remembered was the pain, which was mostly because I feel it every day. Every day, I feel like I'm losing her again. The worst part of the day is when I wake up in the morning, and all of it hits me, again and again. The fact that she was gone, that she wasn't with me anymore. And every morning, I had to force myself to sit up, stand up, run and run to save more people without feeling the glory like I used to.

I wish I could run from it all. Forget it ever happened. And just remember the love I felt when I was with her.

But that's just a foolish dream that will stay a fantasy.

I wish it wasn't though.

Crazy right? How someone can drive you insane, mad, so happy you think you might as well jump to the moon.

I miss that feeling. I miss the mixed emotions. Although one thing was sure, I loved her. I _love_ her. And I'll never stop loving her.

I don't care if that's the reason why I'm in so much pain, because without that pain, I would never have known how to love.

Sometimes even, when I feel like the pain is too much, I go to the beach. The last place I really spent with her. I remember it so vividly, like it happened the day before. We loved staring at the sunset, staring as it slowly made its way to somewhere new. We were sitting on one of my red and yellow towels, my arms wrapped tightly around her while she laid her head on the place where my shoulder and chest met. I remember kissing her temple, telling her the words I always did. _I_ _love_ _you_. And then she would say it back, and I could feel that she meant every single word. I miss her saying it, so close to my ear, making my insides twirl and tighten and go crazy. Just being with her made me feel like I was the luckiest person on earth. Sometimes, I feel like I can hear her whisper it to me.

But I know I'm just missing her. I always do.

I remember the sun finally going down, I remember the moonlight shining on the beach, I remember my grip tighten around her.

I shouldn't have let her go.

* * *

It's been a 2 years since she died.

_Too fast_, I keep thinking.

But sometimes, I have this feeling that makes me feel uneasy.

I open my eyes. I stare at my ceiling for another good five minutes before I finally get up, like I do every morning since she died. Then I realize Nightwing's sitting on my chair, waiting. I must have been asleep longer than I thought. Then, I look at my clock, it says 4:00 a.m. No, I'm wrong. I woke up a good 2 to 3 hours earlier than I was supposed to. Then I remember that it's been exactly 2 years the last time I've seen her.

My head is spinning even before my feet touch the ground. I try to remember what happened last night. The last thing I recall was going inside a bar and order a beer or two. Or maybe more. I don't remember.

"Looks like a pretty bad hangover you got there." Nightwing says, looking straight at me. His expression is worried but I don't care.

I ignore him and go to the bathroom. I turn on the faucet and wet my face, which is sweaty, like every other morning. I put my hands on each side of the sink and lean on it for a while, not daring to look at the mirror. Instead, I decide to look at my hand. It's trembling. Shaking so bad that I wouldn't be surprised if Dick would be able to feel it from where he is.

I take a shaky and rough breath and then finally look at myself. I have bruises on my cheekbone, a cut on my forehead and a black eye. I curse under my breath. I must have gotten into a fight last night. I do that sometimes, when I get drunk intentionally, fortunately it's not as bad as the broken collar bone I got a last year.

My face is dry as soon as I whip it with my face towel. And I head back to my room, where unsurprisingly, Nightwing is still sitting. Waiting really. For me probably.

I sit down at the edge of my twin bed, facing Dick, putting my elbows on my knees and my fingers intertwined, palms sweat already.

That's when Dick finally takes off his mask, revealing his bright blue eyes that only a few people on the Team have ever seen. His eyes look at me serious. It makes him look older, more mature.

He leans over, "It's been a two years, Wally." He tells me, but I'm only half listening, like I have for the past 2 years of my life.

I exhaled sharply, and then I wince, there's a burning pain on my abdomen but try to ignore it once it doesn't leave; "Don't you think I know that, Dick?" I use his real name; he flinches just a little bit, as he always does when I say his name in the cave. But he ignores it. He normally doesn't. But he does it for me. Because he wants it to be about me.

I don't know if I do.

I don't know if I care about myself anymore. I'm not even sure if there is a 'myself' left to care for. Without her, I was pretty much nothing.

Before I can think of anything else, I hear a small voice, "I should have gone with her." I don't realize for another few moments that it's mine.

"Wally." Nightwing says, "It's not your fault, you know that."

I look down at my feet, "I do." I say without looking at him, "But how come it feels like it does?"

He has no answer. Of course he doesn't. He never felt the way I feel. He never lost someone he was _in_ love with.

Honestly, I consider myself lucky. I never lost a family member while he lost his entire family all in one night; he was alone until Batman took him in.

But I don't feel lucky. I feel like I lost the most precious thing in the world. Scratch that, the most precious human being in the world.

"I don't know why I felt her check the place out by herself." I mutter, still not looking at him, even though he took off his mask just so he could look at me in the eye, "It was so freaking simple, we didn't even need the whole Team with us." I continue, already feeling my eyes water, "She was caught so she light the place on fire just so she wouldn't have to reveal anything to them." That's when I finally look at him, almost regretting doing so. Almost. "She killed herself because she didn't trust herself. She thought it would overcome her."

I stop talking. "It's one of the most heroic things someone has ever done." Nightwing says, his voice so low I can barely hear him.

"Damn right it is!" I don't know why I snap, I just do. "She grew up, trained to become a master assassin and somehow, a freaking miracle happens, she knows it's not right so she becomes a superhero." I take a deep breath and I realize my hands are still shaking, "She doubted herself so much. She was so scared that she would turn against us. So insecure about herself that she would hide it from us, and then kill herself to protect us. That's how much she cared about this Team!" I don't know why I'm yelling, but I do anyway, I don't care if I wake up Superboy like I do every time I wake up from a nightmare.

* * *

Her last words, no her last thoughts to me repeat in my head, like it does so many other days.

_Guys, I―I got caught_. She said using the physic link, I could hear her voice, so panicked, yet so calm.

_Wait, Artemis_, I told her, terrified, _I'll be there in a few minutes, just wait! Wait for me!_

_Don't!_ She said, _They're already locking the place up! They know that there are more than just me._

_Artemis, I have to get you out of there!_

_Wally, there's no way in! _Sheargued. I remember, she was good at that.

_Well what do you expect me to do! Just watch and wait?_

For a long while she said nothing, and then finally, _You might as well._

_What do you mean?_ I was angry, and panicked, and scared. I had no idea what she had meant at the time.

_They're going to question me. I―I can't trust myself. Wally, I'm scared._

_Artemis, no please_. It was Miss Martian, who was already weeping. I didn't know why, I was too frightened to understand what she meant.

_It's useless trying to get to me_, Artemis said, _we'll both die_.

_No_, Nightwing said, almost begging, _we'll find a way, just―just hold tight_.

She paused again, it made me more nervous. _There's no time left_, she finally said, _actually, you're a bit too late._

_Artemis! What the heck do you think you're doing?_ I yelled inside my thoughts.

I could pretty much feel her sad, depressed smile, Thank you for being my family guys, I don't deserve you.

_Artemis!_ I was already up, running down the hill that we used to hide us and I was so close. So close. But she was right. I was too late.

And before I could tell her to hold on, I heard her voice in my head again, Wally, thank you so much. You don't deserve to love me. But I do love you. I love you. She repeated.

I heard a gunshot, and that's when the explosion happened. I was thrown back a good 7 feet away and landed on my stomach. I yelled in pain. But I didn't care, I turned around was on my feet before I knew it but I felt arms go around mine, holding me back. Superboy.

"I love you too." That was all I was able to mumble after I yelled her name.

We stayed there for half an hour, staring at the fire, weeping, mourning, just simply crying. I remember, Conner even broke a boulder into two. M'gann was crying, after he broke the rock, Superboy came to her and held her tight. Nightwing's mask was wet, he didn't take it off. Me, I was so angry, sad, all my feelings, balled up. I had never hated the world so much. I remember yelling, I almost forgot. I yelled at the top of my lungs. Her name, I was screaming her name again.

My costume was torn in a few parts, heck; I still have burn mark on my forearms from the explosion. But I didn't care, I didn't even have my burns check out for another three days, when Nightwing forced me to tell Black Canary.

I'm 19 right now. I never thought that I'd go through all of this in 19 years. Never.

* * *

I sit down in my usual seat at Central City Café, in the corner, beside the huge window looking out at the street. I wrap my hand around my coffee; it warms me even though it's the middle of June. I take a sip of it and let it burn my throat and I close my eyes. At least until I felt something tap my right leg. I open my eyes and stare at small, yellow ball that hit me. I pick it up and stare at it a little while more.

Before I know it, there's a little girl of maybe 2 years of age in front of me. She has a light tan, Asian features and auburn hair. She was stares at me, waiting.

I look at her right in the eye and then put on a smile, "Hey, kiddo." I say, hoping I sound friendly and don't scare her with my bruises, "Is this yours?" I show the ball and make it turn on my index finger. She looks at me, amazed.

She nods at me eagerly. It's cute.

"What's your name, kid?" I ask, finally giving her the ball as she takes it.

She opens her mouth to say something but is interrupted, "Lian!" I hear a voice say.

I freeze. _No_, I think, _I'm just paranoid._

But the voice is so familiar that I would recognize it anywhere. But it's just not possible. _You're just imagining it, Wally_, I think, _it's_ _been 2 years. You're just hearing things._

That's when she comes toward us and hugs the little girl, whose name was apparently Lian.

"God, Lian!" she rubs the little girl's back, "Don't ever do that to me again! You scared me!"

And that's when she lifts her head.

And I can't breathe. I swear I hear my heart stop beating. But all I do is stare.

Artemis.

She was Artemis.

She _is_ Artemis.

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**Okay this chapter is longer than my usual ones but I really hope you like it. And like I said, I just wanted to try this idea out and see how people react to it. Thanks for reading and PLEASE REVIEW!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, this chapter pretty much explains what happened to Artemis during the explosion. I hope it's not too boring or anything. Hope you enjoy and PLEASE REVIEW!**

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Chapter 2: Wally

"Oh God, I'm so sorry about Lian." She says, holding the girl in her arms, "See, I'm babysitting for my sister."

That got my attention.

"Wait. Your sister?" I ask, getting up from my seat. "As in Che―I mean, Jade?" I'm so flustered that I almost forgot her real name. But it's not like I've heard it a lot lately.

She nods but of course I know she's her sister, "Yeah, that's her. Do you guys know each other?"

Millions of things are running through my head but I ignore them, at least, I try to. "Yeah, well, in a way, we sort of do." I mumble out, "So, Lian. That little girl right there, in your arms, is Jade's daughter?" I ask, pointing at the kid, who was playing with Artemis's hair. For some reason, it's just so hard to believe that Jade is a mother.

"Yup. She's adorable isn't she?" She makes a funny face at Lian, making the little girl laugh.

I stare at Artemis for a moment, she looks like Artemis, sounds like Artemis but she seems…happy. Like happy as if she's been happy her whole life, like if she never had a past with the Shadows before or wasn't raised by a criminal. I've seen her be happy before. It's possible. But right here, it was like she was never scarred; never been hurt.

"Artemis―"

Her head whips back to me, "How do you know my name?" she asks sharply.

I look at her with big eyes. How do I know your name? I love you, damn it! I wouldn't be able to forget that name in a million lifetimes! But all that comes out is, "Do you know who I am?"

She looks at me uneasily, "Should I know you?"

And that's when I feel like I'm about to crumble in a million pieces and be drifted off by the summer wind. But I keep my composure; at least I try to. There must be a reason why she doesn't know me. I mean, I'm Wally West. I am―was? I don't know, your boyfriend. She can't forget me. It's not possible. All the time we spent together… She can't forget…

"I'm sorry again…about Lian, I mean." She says, interrupting my thought, "But Jade must be so worried right now."

I stand there, and I don't even realize that she's walking away from me until the door opens and she exits the café. And that's when I grab my messenger bag and run after her, leaving my perfectly good and warm coffee behind.

As I'm running to her, my heart beats faster, faster than it should when I'm running. I feel like I'm about to get a heart attack. My bag is hitting my thigh with every step I take, making some sort of rhythm. And even though I'm supposed to be the fasted kid―well, not so much of a kid anymore― alive, I can't help but feel extremely slow. As if my feet were made of rock and I had to use all the energy I have to take another step forward.

And then, I see her, not too far away, she had just finished crossing the street. I run after her, not caring if I go too fast. I just run until I grab her elbow and turn her around.

I'm not panting, but my heart is racing. Just looking at those dark, gray eyes again make me feel dizzy and lighthearted but then I remember what she said in the café. _Should I know you?_ Before I know it, I feel like I could just fall down to the concrete floor and just stay there forever.

Then I remind myself, I need to know why. And how. Not just how or why she can't remember me but how is she alive? I saw her. I saw her burn and die. I remember her saying her goodbyes to me. But she can't even recall who I am. And I need to know why and how.

Before I can think of anything else I ask, "Who is Lian father?"

She looks at me, surprised. I bet she's wondering how I made it to her so fast, or why I'm asking this stupid question but I need to know more. "Roy Harper." She finally says in a sort of whisper.

And then I'm wondering if I heard right but before I can ask the question again, she repeats the answer, as if she knows what I'm thinking. "Roy Harper is her father. I've been living with my sister, Roy and Lian for two years."

Then I don't even know if my brain in functioning. _Roy_? But, he's disappeared. Left after New Year of 2011, left to find the real Roy Harper.

"Do you know him too?" she asks, but there's a bitter tone in her voice, as if she's getting tired of me

I gulp hard and then nod, "Yeah. We were sort of close."

That apparently got her attention, "Really? Sorry, I wouldn't really know. Roy doesn't really like to talk about his past." And then she thinks for a moment, "Actually, he doesn't like to talk about himself, period."

"Well, I wouldn't really know since I haven't seen or heard from him in three years." I mutter and there's touch of anger in my voice. But I don't think about it, because I know that inside, I really am angry at him.

Then she stares at me like I'm a three legged puppy. I hate it when people pity me but I ignore it, "Well, we just moved to Central City a few days ago and our house is just a bus ride away." She says, "You should come with me." The way she says with me makes me want to hug her. _With_ _me_. I haven't heard her say anything like that for 2 years. I haven't heard her say _anything_ for 2 years. "You can come and see Jade and Roy. I bet they'll be glad to see you."

_We'll see about that_, I think but don't actually say.

I force a nice smile and nod, "Sure. I don't have anything to do right now so… I guess I will." That's a lie. The Team had to start training with Black Canary 5 minutes ago but I don't care. I need to know why and how. I need to know what happened to her.

"Okay." The side of her mouth is curved into a smile and then put her fingers to her forehead, "Uh, this sounds extremely stupid but… I never caught your name."

And that's when I have to force myself to smile, to let her know that's I'm alright and say, "Wally West." And I feel electricity run through me when I shake her hand.

* * *

We arrive in front of the house. It's simple and homey, perfect for a family. It's also located in a nice neighborhood, it's quit but in the distance, I can hear kids laughing and playing. Artemis lets go of Lian and then unlocks the front door. Lian runs into the house, shrieking of joy and jump into a man's arms―Roy's arms.

He hasn't seen me yet because he says, "Hey cupcake, did you have a nice walk with Auntie Artemis?" he tickles her and Lian laughs.

Artemis enters the house and then I follow her. "Roy, there's someone who wants to see you." She tells him and then he looks up from his daughter and stares at me right in the eye. I don't break eye contact. And I can feel my body heating up with anger. Anger I didn't even know was still in me. And I'm even angrier than when he left because now, I know that somehow, he's involved with the reason why Artemis doesn't remember me. But I'm mostly angry because he didn't tell me; because he pretty much lied to me. And I hate him so bad that I have to ball up my fists so that I don't punch him right there, holding his little 2 year old daughter in his arms.

Appearantly, he's shocked. "W―Wally." I hear him mumble.

Then he slowly lets go of Lian, "Artemis, can you give Wally and I a second?" she nods and then heads Lian upstairs. "Jade!" Roy yells once he's sure that Artemis and Lian can't hear us.

A few seconds later, I hear Jade, "What?" her voice is coming from behind Roy, where there's a arched doorway, which I'm guessing, leads to the kitchen.

"Can you come here, please?" he sounds almost scared, "Now!"

Two seconds later, Jade comes out from behind Roy and then sees me. She freezes and becomes pale. "I told you we shouldn't have moved to Central City." I hear her whisper.

Before I could say anything, Roy takes a step towards me, "Look, Wally. I wanted to tell you―"

"Cut the crap, Roy." I snap at him.

Jade seems like she's in an awkward situation. "I'm going to check up on Lian." And then she rushes upstairs.

It's sort of weird, really. I've never seen Jade flee. From anything. Ever.

I cross my arms over my chest and lean on one leg, "Explain. Now." How I say it is so much more furious than I expected.

"Fine." He takes a deep breath and then starts his story, "Cheshire was there when Artemis put fire to the warehouse. She saved Artemis from burning or suffocating and brought her to a hospital. The doctors didn't think she'd make it. Long before Artemis arrived at the hospital, she was already critical. Broken bones everywhere, she almost lost her leg, she lost a lot of blood and her brain was swelled up against her skull. The doctors did all they could." He pauses and then looks at me straight in the eye, "She shouldn't have survived. Someone with that many injuries and that serious…it's just impossible. She was in a coma for weeks and weeks. And when she finally woke up, she didn't remember anything. She didn't remember her name, she didn't remember that Jade was her sister… she didn't remember you."

I feel my insides boil. I feel angry, sad, any emotion you can think of, it was just all mixed up inside of me, waiting to explode.

And then Roy continues, "Jade took that opportunity to start a new life with her. She forgot all the pain she went through in the past 17 years that she's lived. Erased as if nothing happened." He takes a step closer to me, "Wally, because of that, she was never in pain. She could finally be happy. Happy without the pain of those horrible memories."

"But why didn't you come to us? Why not tell us?" And I'm so angry I wish I could punch him right here.

He swallows and his eyes soften, "Jade didn't want Artemis to go back to that life. Eventually, Artemis regained _some_ of her memories. Artemis remembers her life up to she was thirteen. Everything but her training with Sportsmaster. Or the Shadows. She doesn't even remember that Jade ever left her. It's like anything that had to do with her superhero life just disappeared. Anything that happened after she was thirteen is gone. She has a few memories of when she was fourteen but they're all blurs."

My head is spinning, I have a huge headache. "So if I get this right, she remembers the first thirteen years of her life except anything that had to do with her father. Like archery? Or self defense? Or being abused by her father or anything like that?"

Roy nods, "Yeah, that's pretty much it."

"Pretty much it?" I'm angry again. "For two years I've thought she's been dead. I thought that she died!"

"Wally―"

"Shut up!" I yell and I know I must look crazy, "You left your friends and family years ago! We thought we were your friends! But you've been lying to me ever since we thought that Artemis has been dead! Friends don't lie to each other! Especially when they think that they're girlfriend's been dead for two years!"

"I wanted to tell you!" He screams back, "I really did. But I've been looking for the real Roy Harper. And then I get a call from Jade saying she needs my help. Before I know it, she says that she has to take care of her sister and that she's pregnant with my kid!"

I don't say anything. It's mostly because I'm so angry I don't know what to say back. I have so much to say. To blame him for.

"Look, I've been taking anger management classes, I have a job… A family." He continues and it's only now that I realize how calm his been since I've been here.

"But you hate Artemis." I spit out, "Why on earth would you help her?"

He bits his lower lip, "I don't hate her. And it's the least that I can do after all that traitor thing that happened."

"I thought she had amnesia." I say, "She wouldn't have remembered."

"Yeah, but it was the right thing to do. And anyway, I treat Artemis like a sister now."

"But why not tell the Team?"

He sighs deeply, "Jade thought she might remember you guys and everything else with it. When we were in the hospital, there was this woman in a wheelchair. Artemis almost remember her mother. Luckily, Jade made an excuse for that and told her that Paula had died years ago."

I unfold my arms and I ball up my hands into fists, "So you just don't want her to remember us?"

"_We_ don't want her to remember the pain." He says back quickly, snapping at me.

And I know he's telling the truth. He does care about Artemis. He really doesn't want her to hurt anymore. And I can't help but feel selfish.

My fists loosen and I rub my temple. "So, the Team's not allowed to see her?"

Roy shakes his head, "No." he says, "Just stay away from her before she remembers you. Before she remembers the pain."

My jaw tightens. My eyes are so watery that all I see are blurs, just shapes and colors. "What if the roles were reversed?" I swallow because I'm can barely talk, "What if, you were in my place and Jade was in Artemis's? Wouldn't you want to know that your girlfriend's alive?"

"I'm sorry, Wally." And I can tell he's honest. He really is sorry, "But you have to leave."

Before I know it, my fist collides with Roy's jaw and he's on the floor. He coughs and I don't care if he's coughing up blood.

So I open the front door and almost slam it shut but then I remember Lian is upstairs and I don't want to upset a little girl who had nothing to do with this. I close it and make my way across the front lawn. My breathing is heavy and my heart is racing like it just might jump out of my chest. I turn around one last towards the house and I don't know if it's just me but I think I see someone look out the window. I blink. Whoever was there isn't there anymore.

And I walk towards the nearest zeta tubes I know.

* * *

**What do you think? And I have a question. During this time, do you think that some members of the 2016 Team are in the Team already? I don't know, like maybe Batgirl, Aquagirl or Bumblebee? Cause they only called Blue Beetle and Lagoon Boy rookies, also Wonder Girl maybe... So I'm guessing that they're new but does that mean that the other members are too? PLEASE REVIEW!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, I'm sorry if this chapter looks short but believe me, it's just as long as the others. Over 2,000 words. Nothing really happens here but I need next chapter to be Wally's POV. Well, I think it will be, that's what I'm planning anyway. Hope you guys like anyway and PLEASE REVIEW!**

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Chapter 3: Artemis

I ran out the door as fast as I could, which was pretty fast for a normal person. He was already 10 blocks ahead of me. _He_ being that redhead Wally. I heard him and Roy talking, well yelling was more like it but I couldn't actually make out any words apart from _us_, _remember_ and _friends_.

After what sounded like a heated argument, I looked out the window and saw Wally leave the house. He actually looked back and I swore that he saw me but either he didn't or he simply didn't care. Either way, I ran out of the house, passed by Roy, who had a bleeding nose, and who I did not help out and left the front door open.

I'm slowly nearing him but he's still pretty far away. Honestly, I don't even know why I don't just call his name but there's already a lump in my throat just by looking at him from behind.

Earlier at the café, when I saw him for the first time ever, my brain almost exploded. I don't know if it was a coincidence or not but just hearing him talk gave me a huge headache, I was actually surprised that I could stand on my feet at the time. But it wasn't only that, when I looked into his bright, emerald green eyes, I could feel my chest tighten. My lungs could barely keep me breathing while I felt like I was going to have a heart attack. Weird right? But I swear that's what I felt and during the whole trip to the house, I could barely put one foot in front of the other.

It was his eyes; they were so bright and just staring at them made me dizzy and lightheaded. Somehow, I already knew that he was sort of a happy and positive person but there was something else in his eyes too. Sort of sad really, like he's been traumatized before, or hurt, something like that. They felt so familiar, his eyes I mean, like I've stared at them before and I could just continue staring at them forever. But not just the eyes, his whole being, his crazy, bright red hair, his reassuring fake smile (yes, I knew he was faking it) that sort of hid something, he even had freckles, not too dark though, the sort of freckles you could only see if you'd known he had freckles or be close enough to count each and every one of them. Even the way he talked was so calm and comforting made me feel like I could trust him, which now that I have my head straight, is stupid. His body language was so dorky that I thought that he might have tripped at any moment but I thought it was cute. Wait, since when do I read body language?

That's when I see only 5 blocks. Just 5 freaking blocks and I could reach out to him. It almost feels like a dream though, like when I reach out to him, he'd disappear into a pile of smoke. And the thought makes me sort of sad.

But that's when he makes a right turn, into an alley and I wonder what he's doing. I force myself to run faster, I run and run and I actually almost miss my turn. But it wouldn't have made that much of a difference even if I did miss my turn. That's because, when I enter the alley, he's gone.

* * *

I take a sip of my cold ice blended coffee. It's cold and makes me shiver even in the summer air but I like ice coffee, it's the only coffee I actually drink.

It's been 3 days since I last saw Wally and for the past 3 days at the same hour of each day, I sit at the table situated in the corner of the room, beside the window. Yeah, it's the seat where I met him. Well, that's pretty much because I'm hoping that I might bump into him again. Honestly, I don't really know why I want to but I feel like I sort of have to.

But every time I exit through the door, I find myself disappointed.

I'm actually starting to think that this is useless. I mean, what if he doesn't even live in Central City? Or what if he only came to the café because he was thirsty or something? All these questions rushing inside my head, that still has a headache from 3 days ago.

But right before I feel like I'm going to be let down again, he walks through the door.

And I can't help but feel a wave of relief and joy whelm me.

Wait, did I just say _whelm_?

But before I can even think about anything else, he comes up to me.

That's when I realize that I've been staring at him since he entered the room. And I feel blood rush to my cheeks.

He doesn't seem to notice though because there's a look of confusion and shock on his face. "Artemis?" he says and I feel like something at the tip of my fingers but when I look at my hands, they look the same as always.

"What the heck are you doing here?" he asks as he takes the seat across me.

It takes me a while to realize that he's actually talking to me and I feel my blush become stronger, "They have good ice coffee." I blur out and I almost physically slap my forehead. _Stupid_, I think.

He stares at me for a moment, as if he still can't believe that I'm sitting across him, "Really? I've never tried ice coffee." And he shows his pearly white teeth, which makes me shiver.

We stay like that for a moment, just staring at each other, well more like analyzing each other. I search every inch of his face, from his messed up red hair, to his green eyes, one of them is surrounded by a spot of purple, then I stare at his cheek, it's bruised and then finally, to his thin lips. And when I do stare at them, I feel _my_ lips tickle.

He looks at me straight in the eye and says, "Look, I need to talk to you." He sounds serious, completely different from how I heard him talk the other day.

I nod, "Sure, what do you want to talk about?" I ask, just as serious.

"I want to ask what happened to you two years ago." It's straightforward and I can tell from the look in his eyes that he's desperate to hear the answer.

The question sort of surprises me though; I didn't even know he knew about the accident but I answer him anyway, "I was hit by a bus." My voice cracks as I say the words, "I was in the ICU for almost three months and when I woke up, I couldn't remember anything." The feeling of loneliness and isolation overcomes me like it did when I first opened my eyes and found myself on a hospital bed and around me were two strangers, both of them were in their early 20s, the Asian girl had spiky black hair that poked out everywhere, her skin was an olive tone and her eyes were black and teary, also, her stomach was just slightly blotted, revealing that she was about 3 to 4 months into her pregnancy while the boy had auburn hair and blue eyes with a lean and muscular figure. After I freaked out, the doctor explained what had happened to me, I later found out that the Asian girl was Jade and that the redhead was Roy.

Ever since then, they've been my family, even Lian who came a few months afterward.

Wally's still staring at me, waiting to hear more of my story, "Eventually, Jade helped me fill in the gaps. I went to therapy for a whole year, my psychiatrist helped me regain some of my memories but I only remember my life up to when I'm thirteen. I remember I few things from when I was fourteen but they're mostly flashes, sort of like captured moments. Like, I remember that at that time, I went to a school named Gotham North."

He stays silent for a moment and then says, "What about your mom?" The question is so out of the blue that I'm surprised that I didn't fall off my chair.

I open my mouth but when I do, nothing comes out. That's when I realized that the topic of my mother is almost foreign to me. I force a cough and then answer his question, "I remember her a bit. I know I said that I remember my life up until I'm thirteen but I don't actually remember much about my mom." My voice is so low that I don't even know if he can hear me. "And a few other stuff…"

"Well what about your dad?"

That question is even weirder than the one before, "I don't remember my dad at all." My voice doesn't crack this time but it's monotone, as if the subject doesn't matter to me that much, "I know that he died when I was fifteen and that I never knew him."

He looks at me with pity and I immediately hate it. "Can you tell me what you know about your mom?" he says and is voice is softer than before, more calm and composed.

"Well, I know that she's the one who raised me along with Jade. And when I was young, she had an accident and ended up in a wheelchair." I actually remember what my mom looked like. Jade didn't describe her to me but I knew what she was like. She was a bit strict but she did the best she could so that I would have a happy life, I remember how her arms felt around me, I remember her wheelchair, I remember her in her wheelchair. "She died when I was seventeen."

I look at his eyes, there's a look of fury in them and I know that he's doing his best to not break the table. I wonder why.

He bits his lip for a moment, thinking of something and then says, "Have you ever done archery before?" I shake my head but the word archery makes me feel warm, at home "Marital arts? Anything of the sort?" I shake my head again.

I stare at him for a moment and I know he's waiting for me to tell him why, so I do, "After my accident, Roy and Jade banned me from doing any martial arts, pretty much every one person sport you can think of. Like running or gymnastics, and I actually have to ask them if I can go swimming sometimes." There's a smile on my face, thinking of how much Jade and Roy have been parents to me for the past 2 years.

But Wally doesn't smile with me, he actually almost looks sad, "But legally, you're an adult, you can do whatever you want without their permission."

I shrug, "I know that but I guess they're just worried for me." I don't tell him that I'm scared to do anything without them. My doctor said it has something to do with trauma or something. She said that I'd be scared to try new things, even the things that I used to love to do. It doesn't matter though, it's not like I can remember any of them.

That's when I realize that my hands are shaking around my cup, and it's not because of how cold my coffee is. I take my hands off of the cup and lay them flat on the table but they're still shaking like crazy and I suddenly have the urge to cry my eyes out. I stare at the lamp behind Wally's head and try to dry them out.

And then Wally wraps his hands around mine, warming them and the shaking goes down a notch. I look up to his face and then our eyes lock. His green eyes make me feel so comfortable that makes me want to sit beside him and just lay my head on his shoulder.

"Meet me here tomorrow, same time, same table." Although it's more of an order, he sounds nervous, scarred almost. And there's a crooked grin on his face but it seems just a tiny bit somber.

And I don't know why but that smirk makes my insides turn to mush. I smile back at him, "Don't be so sure I'll come, _Baywatch_."

And then his grin disappears; his skin is so pale that it's sort of hard to believe that there's still blood flowing through his veins while his eyes, which were full of life not two seconds ago, look blank, as if the life just drained out of him.

It takes him almost a full 2 minutes to recompose himself and then he pulls his hands away from me. "Um, I actually need to be somewhere right now." He says awkwardly as he get up from his chair. He's wearing an undershirt and a button down that's not actually buttoned, both of them are short sleeve, revealing bruises on his arms as well as his face. "And I will see you tomorrow, I guess."

I stand up after him and on normally circumstances; I would have hugged him or shook hands. But hugging was too intimate and shaking hands was just for work. So instead, I make a weird waving motion with a smile, "Bye." I say and then bit my lips as he takes his first steps away from me.

Then he stops dead on his tracks and turns around. He stares at me right in the eye, he looks sad, like if he was remembering a depressing memory. "Artemis?" I can barely hear him.

"Yeah?"

And he then he whispers, "I've missed you."

As I stare at him leave, I wonder why he has bruises.

* * *

**Haha, weird ending right? Well just remember that Wally got drunk the night before Artemis's 2nd death anniversary and got into a fight or something. I'll try to write the next chapter as soon as possible but I also want to read some more and catch up on my favorite TV shows, which I gave up watching half way throughout the school year because I was so busy. I hope this chapter was long enough and PLEASE REVIEW!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay, so I ended up writing this chapter in Arty's POV but for sure, next chapter will be Wally! to answer keepmovingforward2's question: in the 1st chapter, I said that the night before Arty's 2 death anniversary, Wally went into a bar and got drunk. Somewhere between getting drunk and coming back to the cave, he was in a fight because the next morning (Arty's death anniversary), he found himself with bruises everywhere. Hope this helped clear things out :) anyway, hope you guys like and PLEASE REVIEW!**

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Chapter 4: Artemis

I sit down at the same table as I did yesterday. I drink my ice coffee until its half empty and then sigh. Wally's 15 minutes late. I start panicking and I have the sudden urge to start pacing. I have to force myself to stay on my seat but instead it's my mind that's rushing. _What if he forgot? What if something happened to him?_ And the worst one: _What if this is just some sick, lame joke?_

And then he opens the glass door. I don't even realize that I'm holding my breath until Wally sees me, he still has his bruises, which make me wince a bit and then he smiles at me. I smile back at him and just seeing his mouth curve up like that makes my mind go blank. It's like I completely forgot to make my brain work.

He points to the cashier and then points his index finger towards the roof, telling me that he's going to buy coffee and tell me to wait for him. As he hands his money to the cashier, he looks back at me with a huge grin on his face.

And then there's a flash.

It was just an instant. Not even a full second but I saw it. It was like a picture… of Kid Flash. Normally Jade and Roy don't really let me watch the News but whenever they're not at home, I take a peek and I know its Kid Flash. Only, the one I just saw in my head looked younger. I know, he's wearing a mask but he definitely looked younger, by a few years maybe? I try to remember what the image looked like, Kid Flash…oh! And behind him, he was in some sort of shack. Kid Flash in a shack. Okay, weird. And then the image flashes in my head again. I have to hold onto the table so that I don't fall off my chair.

Scratch what I just said a second ago, about that being weird, because Kid Flash in a shack is not weird. Kid Flash in a shack, grinning like a complete idiot is weird.

I blink and I'm so dizzy that I feel a bit nauseous.

Wally sits across me like he did like her did last time. His smile is still beaming but there's something about it, as if he's hiding something. "Please tell me you're free for the rest of the afternoon." He says, his eyes shining.

"Lo, to you too." I say with a playful smile and I wonder where I got 'lo' from. "Why?" I ask mischievously, pushing my other thoughts away.

"It's a surprise."

My cheeks are burning and I grin, "Then I guess I'm free."

* * *

I see black. That's because my eyes are closed and Wally insisted to put a green bandana over my eyes. Wally guides me, telling me to turn right, left or go down a step. He's behind me and his hands are only arms, they make me feel so warm even though it's summer.

"Are we there yet?" I ask impatiently.

I can feel Wally grin behind me, "Wait… And we're here." I feel him untie the bandana and I open my eyes.

We're out of the city, that's for sure, in front of me are targets, some a few feet away, some are even almost half a mile away. Wally stands beside me and holds out a green bow and arrows. "Surprise." His voice is unsure and nervous.

"What's this?" I ask, still staring at the flat, grassy ground in front of me.

Wally rubs the back of his neck with his free hand, "I don't know. I wanted to try something and I'm like: why not bring Artemis along?"

"Okay, but I've never even touched a bow or arrow before in my whole life." He looks at me sadly and then shakes his head.

He puts a smile on his face again but it's different from before, it's a depressing smile, "It's okay. Me either." He says, "That's why I thought it would be nice for us to do it together."

The thought scares me a bit, holding a weapon I mean. But before I let my mind change, I take the bow from him, "What are you waiting for?"

Wally hands me the arrow and shows me how to aim. I nod at what he's saying but my head's aching all of a sudden and I can barely hear him. I close my for a second and when I open them, I can't see Wally anymore. I guess he must have finished with his explanation and I aim for the nearest target. I stare at it for a moment and I close my eyes again.

And there's another flash.

Well, flashes. Targets, a hockey mask, a Sais and…an Alice in Wonderland poster? And I suddenly let go of my bow.

Behind me, I hear Wally say, "Wow." So I open my eyes and my jaw drops. My bow is just half an inch from the middle of the target. "Are you sure this is your first time at archery?" Wally asks, taking a step towards me.

"I'm one hundred percent sure." I answer; my voice is so low I'm barely able to hear myself think it. I'm still shocked from my almost perfect first time doing archery. My feet feel almost paralyzed but once the shock passes, I almost jump out of my combat boots.

"Well it sure doesn't look like it." He puts an arm around me, then squeezes. I stiffen at first but then relax. His touch feels so…homey. Like I belonged in his arms.

I put my hand on his chest and push him away playfully, "What about you, Baywatch." His eyes soften when I say Baywatch again, "Let's see what you can do."

Wally grins. He takes the bow from me and another arrow from a quiver, which was on the floor beside him. He aims at the same target as I did and lets it go. The arrow flies over the target a good four feet and then hits the grass. I can't help but chuckle behind him and he turns back at me.

He looks at me with a crooked grin, "Did I mention that I suck at new things?"

I can't help but roll my eyes at him and hit the target every single time after that.

* * *

I take a sip of my water while I wait for Wally to come back from the restroom. I take another long look around me. After about two hours of trying to hit a target, Wally finally gave up and we decided to have dinner. I've never been to this restaurant before, well, technically the only restaurant I've been in since I've moved to Central City is McDonald's and KFC. The restaurant is small but not dirty, very clean even, it's not expensive and it's just the tiniest bit out of town. There are a few other people on the other side of the room but the building isn't cramped like other restaurants are at this time and the waiters are not that bad to look at. I like it.

Before I know it, Wally takes his seat across me, again, and smiles. I'm surprised that his cheek isn't sore from smiling so much, not to mention his huge bruise but it doesn't seem to mind him. "So, was this a good first date?" he asks. His bright eyes seem brighter in the nighttime.

"Wow. Slow down, who ever said this was a date?" I say, putting a sly grin on my face.

Wally turns the color of his hair and looks away. "I―I didn't―"

I put my hand over his to shut him up and he turns even redder (if that's even possible) and say. "It's great."

That's when our waiter comes in and gives us our plates, our hands separate. Wally got a cheeseburger with French fries while I got carbonara. He finished when I'm only half way done and orders a second burger.

My noodles drop from my fork and I stare at him while he uses a toothpick to clean his teeth he burps―loudly and gives me an apologetic smile.

"Ew," I say, "gross much." And I can't help but chuckle a little and then my head hurts again.

And right before I'm about to ask him how he got his bruises, I black out.

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**First off, I'm so sorry if this chapter is shorter than the 3 first ones but this is actually how long my usual chapters are, the first three were pretty long for me. And did you guys know that you're spamming my inbox? Don't worry, that's a not a bad thing, it actually made me smile for the rest of the day :) So keep spamming and PLEASE REVIEW!**

**PS: I'm thinking about writing on fictionpress . com . Do you guys think I should do it? I have this idea that's been bugging me since May and it's slowly forming in my head. Do you guys think it's a good idea?**


	5. Chapter 5

**No I did not disappear or anything. I just had this huge writer's block and then I got really busy cause in the past 2 weeks, my sister, my mom and my dad got sick. Who do you think took care of them? And they weren't even sick at the same time! Ugh, I hate writer's block. But I was reading this amazing book (called Tiger's Curse by Holleen Houck BTW) that had all this romance and feeling that made my insides to jelly. And it really inspired me. So thank you Holleen Houk for writing such an amazing book! Sorry in advance for short chapter! But I hope that next time it will be longer. PLEASE REVIEW!**

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Chapter 5: Wally

I squeeze her hand tightly in mine. I stared at her as he chest slowly rose and then fell in a rhythmic pattern. I bite my lip until I taste blood. The too familiar of emptiness filled me again. And anger. The same feeling I have whenever she was in danger, when I knew—when I could feel her sorrow. I wanted to scream it all out. Show how angry and furious I am.

But I'm not quite mad at Jade or Roy. I'm mostly mad at myself.

Every time I try to reason with myself, I always ended up blaming myself. _I should have gone looking for her… I should have told her the truth… I should have known she wasn't dead._

My thoughts are interrupted when Nightwing pokes his head in the room.

"They're here," he says in a low voice.

I swallow the giant lump in my throat and I nod. He leaves and I lean forward and tuck a strand of her blond hair behind her ear. I cup her face in my hand and lean even closer. And place a soft peck on her forehead.

I sigh and leave her, then follow Dick to the cave's training/briefing room. There, Martian Manhunter, Jade and Roy are waiting for us.

Jade takes a step forward, looking enraged and shouts at me, "Why did you bring her _here_? Are you crazy? And what were you doing with her anyway?"

Roy grabs her arm. "Jade, calm down," he whispers.

She whips her head around. "Calm down?" she yells at her husband, who was literally just 10 inches away from her. "How on earth do you want me to calm down?"

The redhead sighs. "We don't even know her condition yet. Let's hear what J'onn has to say."

She stares at him for a moment. She eventually lets out a slightly frustrated sigh and nod. "Fine."

We all turn to the Martian as he explains what happened. "For now she is stable," he says. "Her brain is swollen and it needs time to go down."

"And why is it swollen exactly?" Dick asks, crossing his arms over his chest.

"It's her memories. They're coming back to her to fast. And the fact that she repeatedly ignores them does not help her."

"Wait, what do you mean 'ignores' them?" I ask.

Martian Manhunter makes eye contact with my, which I break almost as soon as he makes it. "Since she is not aware that she is remembering them, she choses to push them away. She might not be aware of this but this is what's happening in her mind right now," he explains. He faces Jade with a serious expression. "I recommend that you tell her the truth of what really happened two years ago."

Jade looks at him, "What makes her think we're going to tell her anything?"

J'onn returns the glare. "If you do not, her condition will worsen. The memories will not stop coming back and if she keeps doing what she is doing, her brain will swell up so much that eventually, she will end up brain dead."

I see Jade gulp and look away. "So how come she didn't have this before?" she asked.

"Some things of her old life came back to her. Or in this case, some people," he says as the room's attention was on me.

Jade looks at me even angrier than before and points at me. "You! This is all your fault! See what you did! You should have just left us alone!"

Roy takes her by the arm again and pulls her back. "Jade, we should just tell her. Artemis has the right to know the truth." For once in the years that I've known Roy, he sounds calm.

She turns to face him. "Don't you get it? What's going to happen when she finds out? What will she think of me?" I've never seen Jade cry before. But she did. She fell to the floor and started sobbing.

After a few minutes, I decided to leave. I slowly slipped out of the room, feeling my heart pound against my chest.

And I stop dead on my tracks when I hear Dick speak. "You should give him a break." Apparently Jade had stopped crying. "For the past two years we all thought that she was dead. And to have her come back like that…"

I feel my eyes burn. My hands ball up into fists, making my knuckles white as snow. And I pick up my face to leave.

I open the doors to her room. She's sleeping. She has been for the past month. She's in a sort of coma. Not quite of coma but she won't wake up because of the swelling.

I take a seat beside the bed, the same seat I've sat since she first fainted. Instinctively, my hands wrap around hers, feeling the warmth of her body.

* * *

My lips curve into a sad smile as I stare at her sleep. "Hey you," I say. "Guess what happened today during training?" I gave out a light chuckle. "Rocket almost blew off Tula's head. I know, it doesn't sound that funny but you should have seen their faces! See, Tula was hanging out with Kaldur and Rocket almost blew up herself."

I stop talking for a few moments and just stare at her peaceful face, wondering if she could hear me. Martian Manhunter said she might but wasn't completely sure.

My finger touches her cheek softly. "You'll find out the truth soon enough, I promise."

And her lashes flutter.

I sit up, shocked and wait. I won't admit it out loud but I know that I'm waiting for her to wake up.

But she doesn't.

And I go back to telling her about my day, how Kaldur and Garth had to hold back the girls from firing at each other. How they ended up laughing about it.

Seeing the Team laugh and enjoy themselves made me feel guilty. They don't know that Artemis is alive. They don't know that for the past month, she's been 'living' under the same roof. It wasn't like the clinic wasn't visited a lot. In fact, it was visited _too_ much. But Artemis stayed in a private room.

J'onn visited the cave a lot more, at least 3 times a week to check up on Artemis. Just yesterday, Garfield wouldn't stop asking why the Martian was visiting so much.

I hate the fact that I'm lying to them. They're my second family. I'm lying to my second family and I hate it so much.

But Jade insisted we tell no one else.

So right now, the only people who know about Artemis are Dick, Martian Manhunter and I.

The real problem was Zatanna. The curious little magician she is. Well, not so little anymore.

Last week, she came into the clinic to check on Nightwing, who sprained his ankle. She went snooping around and if Dick hadn't stopped her, we would have been toast.

And for the past month, I've been spending all my free time here, holding onto her. Afraid of the moment I let go.

I stare at her emotionless face. She looks so calm. I lean closer to her and put my mouth to her ear. "Please don't leave me. Not again," I beg.

I know I sound like a wimp but I don't really care. If ever I lose her again…I don't think I could go through life. That's how much I need her. Every time I think of how many times her life was at stake because of this freaking job. But even if I tried, I know she wouldn't have accepted. I smile at the thought of what would have been her comeback.

My thoughts go back to the _happy_ times I had with her. Which was pretty much every time I was with her—even when we argued. All that because she was with me. And just that made my day. I feel my heart tighten and float all at the same time.

I let out a light but sad chuckle. "You really have to stop dying on me," I tell her.

I gulp my fear and say the thing I've been scared to say for the past month, "Please, wake up."

And her eyes fly open.

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**If you don't get anything, I wouldn't blame you, it's not very clear. And all that stuff about Artemis's condition is so NOT REAL. I just made that shit up, I barely studied the human brain yet, just bits and pieces about neurons. So all fake and I took a bit out of The Vow. I didn't know what else to say. So hope it's okay and PLEASE REVIEW!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Yeah, I'm really sorry about not updating in a while. I really am, I've been a bit busy. I just hope this chapter is okay with you guys. Nothing really happens but at least I updated. Also, I'm sorry if the emotions are a bit...bipolar? Whatever. I just hope it's okay. Also, please follow me on tumblr! Link on my profile :) PLEASE REVIEW!**

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Chapter 6: Artemis

Have you ever feel like you're alone? Have you ever had someone, who you love dearly lie to you about your entire life? Have you ever felt like your heart just couldn't take anything anymore? That feeling you get whenever you just know that you can't take anymore lies. Or your heart just might stop beating.

Honestly, I completely understand why they did it. At first, I didn't. I was utterly furious and I thought that I could never call Jade my sister ever again. But I know that's a lie. She'll always be my sister. Even after she ran away, even when she left, even when she left and ran away from _me_. So I understand the why, but at the very back of my mind, I just can't stop thinking that she was selfish. She's my older sister. She's my sister. Does that even mean anything to her? Does she have any idea how much she tore me apart? I mean, I'm pretty sure she'd get pissed too if I ever did that to her. But no matter how much I'm angry and frustrated with her, I also love her. All she wanted to do was protect me. That wasn't what she was doing though.

For the past 2 years, I've been trying to remember as much as my old life. You see, when I woke up in that hospital bed, staring up at Jade and Roy, I felt distraught. I felt lost. I felt alone. And I was lost; I was alone—to me anyway. When I woke up, strangers surrounded me, I was covered in bandages and casts, IVs were sticking out of my arms and my mind was blank.

I didn't even know my name. I didn't know_ my freaking name_. How could I not know what my name is? When I woke up, not only did I know nothing about the people around me, I knew nothing about myself. I didn't know what happened, I didn't know anyone, not even myself.

Do you have any idea how that feels like? I wasn't just alone; I was nothing. I didn't know who I was, I didn't know my hair color, my eye color, my family, friends, my hobbies and I didn't know Wally.

The first time I spoke, my voice was hoarse and broken. It wasn't just my voice though; my whole soul was torn to shreds. I had absolutely no idea why I was in a hospital bed. I had no idea who those people with me were. I didn't know _me_.

But it didn't take long for me to remember my life before the accident. Jade, Roy and Martian Manhunter explained what really happened and I had already regained most of my memory. After they cleared out how I went into a coma, they told me about my life. Well, mostly Jade did. But from when I was 9 to when I was 15, I had to do all that by myself.

So right now, as I stare at my bare feet, sitting on the edge of the bed, I can recall everything that has happened. I remember my mom going to jail, I remember Jade leaving, my dad's training, the Team, and the accident. And now that I know why I did it, it scares me even more.

I never trusted myself, even when I didn't know what really happened to me. That was another thing that I realized when I woke up. There was already a wall around my heart, the wall that either protected me or kept me from being happy. Now, I guess it's sort of for both. But still, even then, I knew someone had penetrated it. Someone had crept his or her way inside, tearing the bricks apart, and just

It had bothered me at first but when I didn't meet anyone else, when I knew that person was gone, that's when I started to relax. Still, it bothered me someone was able to get through, I was just happy they left.

But now that I know, now that I know it was Wally who had broken in and swept me off my feet—literally, I feel…something. A mixture of a lot of emotions. Happy, sad, angry…love. I loved him. At least the old Artemis did. I know, that doesn't make much sense, right?

There's a knock on my door, interrupting my thoughts.

"Come in," I whisper softly. My voice is so low that I was surprised that the person outside heard me. But he did.

So coming through the doors was Wally, wearing jeans, a long sleeved undershirt and a button down that was left open.

When he comes closer, I realize his normally bright emerald eyes look darker and tired, exhausted even. I wonder if he's all right.

"How are you feeling?" he asks. Even his voice sounds tired.

I take a deep breath before answering him and say, "I've been better."

His mouth is curled up just a tiny bit on the left side, almost smiling but not quite. Then out of nowhere, his eyes look even darker than before, more sinister. "I'm sorry," he mumbles.

As soon as my eyes meet his, I feel sorry for him. Can you believe it? I'm the one going through some major trauma and I'm the one feeling sorry for him. But I know that even if I did try, I wouldn't be able to resist. Wally's just so innocent and I know, deep inside, I'd never be mad at him. Even if he did lie to me since the moment I met him for the second time in my life at that café.

I hide a smile.

Two months ago, I didn't even know Wally existed; yet, he still manages to get inside that damn wall.

Without meaning to, I touch his hand and wrap mine around his, feeling a familiar warmth that I didn't even know I missed. I couldn't hear or feel his heartbeat but somehow, I know that it's beating the exact same rhythm as mine. The thought makes me kind of lightheaded. I'm not sure if that's a bad or a good thing.

Before I know it, the words are spilling out of my mouth, "I'm not mad." And it's the truth. I'm not mad at him, not quite. But I do wish he told me the truth from the start. "But next time, tell me the truth."

That earns me a light chuckle as he nods. "Okay." He's gotten so close to me that I can feel his breathing on my neck. "So, how are you feeling?"

I raise an eyebrow at him. "Didn't you ask me that already?"

This time he's the one raising an eyebrow. "Just tell me, Artemis," he whispers.

I don't open my mouth though. I feel a bit nervous. The same feeling I had when I first time I saw him at the café.

But his eyes, his eyes are begging me. "Come on, I know you, Artemis." And that's when I go ballistic.

"What did you just say?" I say, feeling the anger boiling inside me.

He looks slightly scared. "I know you."

I forget about his bright eyes, I forget about his shinning pearly white teeth and I pull my hand off his.

"No, you don't know me," I hiss at him. He looks shocked but I don't care. "In fact, as far as I know, I may have the same blood as the old Artemis, the same features, and the same memories but I'm not her, not anymore. I'm not Artemis Crock, the archer. I'm just Artemis Crock—the civilian." He looks shocked.

"I don't know how to explain it to you but in short, I've changed. It may or may not be because of the accident but whether you like it or not, I've changed, Wally. I'm not that girl anymore. How many memories I'll remember, how many times I have to relive this life, I'll never be that girl anymore, Wally. I'm not a superhero, I'm not a villain—I'm just a girl trying to get through life, studying in college, babysitting for my family. That's who I am." I look at him. His shock is slowly going away and starts to burn red, like his hair.

I take a long, deep breath but my anger doesn't go away. "All I wanted to do since I first moved in with Jade and Roy and Lian was to graduate college, find a job, move out, meet a guy, get married and start my own family. That's how I wanted my life to be, that's what a normal person's life should be." I can tell that the last part about meeting a guy hurt him but I don't care. I may not be mad at him for lying to me but I am mad at him for saying those words. For telling me that he knows whom I am. Because he doesn't. "As much as you knew the old Artemis, you will never know me!"

And I know I've crossed the line.

I stare into his eyes but he breaks eye contact almost immediately. He balls his hands into fists and bows his head, hiding his face from me. I see his Adam's apple go up and down, gulping. I instantly regret what I just said.

I reach for his shoulder but he takes a step back, avoiding my touch. "Wally—"

"I'm sorry if I wanted to help," he says bitterly before leaving.

I stare at the door a while longer, feeling my eyes starting to burn, feeling the tears coming on. I put my hands to my face, covering it. Sometimes, I really hate myself.

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**What do you think? I knew, the ending is pretty unrealistic but I did the best I could. Hope you enjoy it. PLEASE REVIEW! PS: Do any of you had amnesia before? Or know someone who does? Just curious...**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello peeps. I'M BACK! First off, I didn't really re-read this so don't mind the misspells. I don't really have anything to say but I hope you like this chapter! PLEASE REVIEW!**

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Chapter 7: Artemis

They told them. They told the Team that I was alive. And now, they're crowded up in my "room" as they stared at me with amazement.

The first one to snap out of their daze and to hug me is a green skinned girl with short red hair. She hugs me tightly but it doesn't really feel awkward. In fact, it feels familiar and I can't help hugging back.

"Artemis! You're alive!" She yells in my ear but I barely hear it. My brain is quickly remembering all the time we spent together and I have to press my lips together to stop myself from crying.

When she finally lets go of me, I smile at her and say, "M'gann." She reflects the same smile as I do and I know I got the name right. She looks different though, not so much since Martian age slowly but then it hits me. "I like the new doe," I whisper to her.

Her grin grows even more as her fingers run through her short hair. "Thanks," she replies and takes a step back.

The next one to hug me is a girl with long curly black hair and bright blue eyes—Zatanna. As she puts her arms around me, she starts sobbing and I use all my strength from doing the same.

"I missed you so much."

It takes me a moment to realize I was the one who spoke. My voice sounded so weak and broken.

"I missed you too, Artemis," she murmurs into my ear.

It goes on like that forever. One by one, they hug me and tell me how much they missed me and how sad they were when they thought I was dead. There wasn't one second where the attention wasn't on me. Every single member of the Team was there. Nightwing, Miss Martian, Superboy, Zatanna, Rocket, Aqualad, Batgirl, Aquagirl and Tempest. I recognize all the faces but two. Two boys, roughly 12 or 13 years old, one had black hair and wore a domino mask while the other had green skin, hair and eyes and a tail!

Aqualad explained that they were the newest members to the Team. Their names were Robin and Beast Boy.

"Ooh! Where's Wally?" M'gann cries out as she searches the small room. "We have to tell him about Artemis!"

Nightwing's face turns glum. "Wally already knows about Artemis," he says in a small voice. It still surprises me how much Robin, the first one, has grown so much. He had grown much taller and his muscles are firm. If it hadn't been for the familiar laugh when I "first" met him, I would never have guessed he was the same 13 year old I met when I first joined the Team.

"What do you mean Wally knows?" Tula—Aquagirl—asks.

Nightwing hesitates for a moment but eventually explains how it was Wally who first found out that I was still alive. At first, the Team seemed to be mad but slowly, their faces showed that they pitied him.

"Well, where is he then?" Superboy asks in a low voice. Conner hasn't changed a bit—literally. He still looks like a 16-year-old teenager I first met back in 2010.

Nightwing bits his lip. "He's been at the beach since this morning," he admits.

A sudden image pops into my mind. It's Wally and I on the beach, with his arms around me as he kissed my temple from behind me.

"_I love you,_" he whispered.

"_I love you too_," I said back.

And then I'm back in the room, sitting on the edge of my bed as I stared at all my friends. There's a huge ache in my chest all of a sudden. My heart feels heavy and I feel guilty. Wally's on the beach right now because it was the last place we stayed together.

Before I know it, my bare feet hit the tile floor and I'm running through the door.

I don't turn around to check if someone is following me because I don't have to, I'd be able to hear them—to use my ears instead of my eyes, just like my dad taught me. But I don't hear any footsteps other than mine. And I feel just a little bit more relaxed, but just a little bit.

Soon enough, I end up in a large round room. I remember training here and my back hitting the ground and making people fall to the ground as well.

I stop in the very middle of it and do a 360 turn. This was the place I first met my Team, the first time I met my family. The first time I met Wally.

I smile sadly at the memory. I remember how he was dressed in his swimming trunks, holding just about a million things and tripping in front of everyone.

The memory just makes me want to see him more so I continue to run in one of the hallways and soon, I find myself outside. It surprises me how much I know this place.

I let my feet dig into the dry sand. I'm only wearing shorts and a tank top that Jade had brought me from home so when the summer breeze brushes against my skin, I couldn't help but shiver.

It takes me a while to spot him but then his white towel stands out, which was wrapped around his arms stand out.

Before I take another breath, I run to him, as if he were a magnet. He doesn't seem to hear me when I slow my pace as I near him.

I stop about a foot behind him and throw my hands up. "I'm sorry." I breathe out loudly.

Wally turns around quickly and his shock is written all over his face. "Artemis, what are you doing here?" he asks.

I take a seat beside him and once I'm comfortable, I say, "I'm sorry."

Wally raises an eyebrow in confusion. "What for?"

He's wearing orange swimming trunks and his towel hangs on his shoulder. His red hair is slightly wet and his body is dripping wet. I force myself to keep my gaze on his beautiful green eyes instead of his lean, bare chest. And it takes longer than I should have to answer him. "I went too far," I admit. "I was selfish and…I can't even imagine what you're going through."

His emerald green eyes soften and then he lets out a deep sigh. "It's okay—"

"No, it's not." I bite my lip even harder. And before I know it the words are spilling out of my mouth. "If I ever lost you…" And then I lose it. I fold my legs and cry my eyes out as I hugged myself.

I do that for a couple of moments and then reluctantly, I feel the familiar touch of arms wrap around me along with the soft, yet wet towel Wally had around him. His touch is warm and so I cuddle closer to him.

I hate myself for letting my wall down, for letting him creep inside again. But I can't find the strength to push him back out.

"I'm so sorry," I sob onto his exposed shoulder.

Wally's grip on me tightens and pulls me even closer to him than before. His fingers comb through my messy blond hair and I feel him leave a kiss on my temple, just like he did two years ago. "It's okay," he whispers to me softly. "I'm not mad at you."

I look up to him and realize how close we are. Our noses are an inch from touching and his eyes are mesmerizing. "How could you not?" My voice is softer than I intended and I'm disgusted with myself for being so weak and vulnerable. "I am the most awful person on earth."

There's a faint smile on his face that makes me feel dizzy. "No you're not," he mumbles.

"Yes I am." It's barely an argument and I want to slap myself for it but I'm too dazed to do it.

"Are you kidding?" His voice sounds happy and it doesn't really surprise me. That's just Wally. "You saved the world countless of times. And you were an amazing person."

He said two sentences and he already makes me feel so happy. I had no idea how much I missed the feeling.

The idea of just staying like this with him is so…I love it.

"I can't even think about what you're going through," I admit. "I'm sorry if I upset you. I just…" I look down from his face and stare at my hands.

We don't say anything for a while. I just stare at my hands and the sand while I feel Wally's breathing on my neck. After the longest 2 minutes of my life, I look up at him again and I can't help but feel protected with him. Somehow, I know he'd do whatever it takes for me to be safe. And the feeling is mutual because even though 2 months ago, I didn't even know he existed, the two other years I spent with this Team has showed how much I care for them. They're my family. I just didn't know it because I forgot. But I know now. I just spent barely half an hour with them and I could just feel it. I felt how much they cared for me and how much they meant to me.

Just staring at eyes, I can already feel how much pain he's in. And I don't think I will ever forgive my mouth for saying, "I can't go through this alone, Wally."

He looks surprised from what I just said. But he recovers form his shock quickly and I feel his hand slips into mine while his other arm stays around my shoulders. He squeezes my hand like he did when I was in a coma. Even though I was unconscious, I loved the feeling of his skin against mine.

"You're not alone," he whispers to me and our faces become even closer. He glances out our hands and then quickly looks back at me. "I'll always be right here."

They're simple words, so simple, yet it turns my inside into mush. That's when I realize my feelings never left. I'm still feeling the same things as I did two years ago.

And this is exactly what dad taught me to avoid. Caring for other people just gets in the way, he had said. But I don't care about what he said. I care for my family. I care about Wally. And that's never going to change.

But I'm too afraid to say the words. That was another thing dad had told me to avoid. But I just woke up from a coma that lasted a month! I had suddenly remembered my past life just a few days ago. Everything was happening too fast. All too fast for me.

Wally can see the fear in my eyes and he places my head on his shoulder comfortably. The tears that were on my cheeks slowly make their way down my face and drop onto his chest. We stay like that for a long time. And I don't want it to end. The sun slowly goes down with every passing minute, showing me how little time there is left to stay there with him until tomorrow.

"I'm going to visit someone tomorrow," he says, breaking our silence. "Do you want to come with me?"

"Who are you visiting?" I ask.

It takes him a bit too long to answer but after a while he says, "Paula Crock."

I stiffen. "What?"

"I'm going to visit your mom," he repeats. "I come by her place once a week."

I look up form the setting sun to Wally. "H—have you told her about me?"

He shakes his head lightly. "No, I haven't visited in the last month. I wanted to stay with you."

I stay silence for a really long time. So Wally decides to continue, "I was planning to tell her tomorrow."

Images of my mother come back to me. I realize how much I miss her, which leads me to say, "Okay."

* * *

When I come back to my room, everyone's left and everything at its place. Wally comes up from behind me and turns on the lights. I stretch my arms and yawn. Wally chuckles and tells me to go to sleep. I don't argue with him. I take a new pair of shorts and a blue t-shirt from the bag my sister left me with and go into the bathroom to change.

I come out and toss my sandy clothes into a hamper. Wally is sitting on the chair where he was when I first woke up, still wearing his swimming shorts and his towel.

I crawl to bed lazily and Wally pulls the covers over me. I stare up at him for a while and he leans over to me. I close my eyes and I feel Wally's lips on my forehead before saying, "Goodnight, Artemis."

His voice rings in my head. And I hear the light switch turn off as he exits the room.

And although I feel exhausted, I can't stop thinking about my mom. My mind is also filled with memories of Wally and I together. I miss his arms around me and I wonder what that moment on the beach meant. Does that mean we can be an item again? At least someday? The thought exhilarates me. The thought of being able to taste his lips on mine.

I fall asleep thinking of that, which keeps me warm and at home.

It makes me miss him. Yesterday, I was screaming at him and now I can't stop thinking about being wrapped in his arms. Gosh, I'm complicated. I'm not surprised if Wally ever considered dumping me.

But he didn't. And the thought leaves me smiling.

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**I don't know why but I really like this chapter. Wally cooled off and Arty apologized and they're going to see her mom! I'm also REALLY thinking about starting a fictionpress story. For those who are not aware of what fictionpress is, it's pretty much like fanfiction only it's not based on a tv show or a movie or anything like that. It's about your ideas. It's pretty much like writing a book. For those who are intrested, maybe you could read it whenever I'm done with finishing the plot, you know, whenever that is. PLEASE REVIEW!**


	8. Chapter 8

**I'm so so so so so so so SORRY for not updating in life forever! I just had no time. I'm so busy with school now! Don't worry though, I'm still writing. I actually finished writing the chapter on Monday but when I brought my laptop to school (where there is internet, unlike my house right now), I couldn't find the file! Ugh, so I had to rewrite it and it took forever! I'm so sorry! I hope you'll forgive me! I hope you like and PLEASE REVIEW!**

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Chapter 8: Wally

It's been five months since Artemis first woke up.

Right now, she still lives in Central City with her sister, Roy, Lian and her mother, who moved in with her a month ago. They've been living as a family, as if their pasts never were.

The thing that really annoys me is that they're acting like a normal family. Unless, you know, normal was having an ex-superhero for a dad, an ex-villain for a mom, and ex-con for a grandmother and a supposed-to-become-a-villain-turned-her-life-around-and-became-a-superhero for an aunt. Yeah, _real_ normal.

But Artemis came by Mount Justice almost every day.

And the room seemed to lighten up whenever she came through the door. During these past five months, we've become closer but just not as close as we were before she died.

We weren't boyfriend-girlfriend. But it hurt too much to admit we were just friends.

I have no idea if you have a word for that but that's what we are. Sometimes, I would take her out to Happy Harbor (although they weren't dates) and she would remember all the times we along with the Team had there. Sometimes, we would bump into each other at Central City, whether it was at the mall or at the park. And sometimes we would end up hanging out together for the rest of the day, talking about our lives these past two years.

But no matter how much I learn about what's happened to her these last two years, I can't seem to know enough. Artemis and I were inseparable when we were together. But we weren't _together_ together. That fact hurt a lot too. Although I don't want to pressure her. So I try to keep my distance, which is almost impossible, just so you know.

Right now, we're just stuck in this place where we're not lovers or friends. And honestly, it makes my head turn and spin and I want to be more than what we are now—you know, whatever that is.

The problem is that I'm scared that when I finally have the courage to take a step forward, I'd just end up pushing her away. And I don't want to lose her again. I _can't_ lose her again, not this time.

I love her, but I don't know if she still loves me. Does she even remember what loving each other felt like? Because I don't think I could ever forget, even if I end up with amnesia.

Artemis was just this girl that you couldn't forget. She tries to hide in the Shadows, like she was raised to do, but I just can't stop staring at her shinning, olive skin, her curvy, strong and sportive figure, her not quite long blond hair, and her eyes, oh God, her eyes. I couldn't stop looking at them.

The funny part was that we acted familiar when we're together.

You know that feeling you get when you make a new friend but you don't hug or make as little physical contact with them but you're not that close to them. We weren't like that. We would huge and cuddle and sometimes, we would hold hands. But we didn't kiss, our foreheads didn't touch and I couldn't run my fingers through her hair.

I hate not being able to do that. But it's a lot more that what I got the last two years.

"Okay, so what do you want to do today?" I asked Artemis as we strolled in Central City Park. We did this a lot, we liked it especially during fall or winter, when the cold breeze would brush against our skin and made Artemis's small, cute nose turn red.

She pursed her lips in thought. "I don't know," she says. "Can we do something different today?"

I shrug. "Sure, why not?"

Artemis's gray eyes looked so beautiful in the snowy park. "I want to visit my grave."

I froze. "What?" was all I was able to mumble out.

She stops beside me. "You heard me, Baywatch," she said. I barely winced this time. Yeah, five months she's been calling me that and you'd think I'd get used to it by now. "Let's go to Gotham City Graveyard."

Somehow, I still couldn't figure out if she was serious. "But it's not like someone's really buried there," I argued. "It's just a marble plaque with your name on it."

Artemis shrugs, wearing one of her faces. "I still want to see it."

I raise an eyebrow at her. "You're really serious right now?" I ask one last time.

She rolls her eyes at me. "Just bring me there!"

* * *

There's something I didn't tell Artemis yet.

And that was my extreme reaction to her death.

After we broke the news to everyone, I lost it.

"Wally," my uncle said in his Flash suit, "calm down."

Of course I didn't listen. I was just so angry and sad and confused. I stormed out of the cave into Central City. From there, I decided to run. I needed to run. I put on my goggles and sped off. I didn't even know where I was going, I was just running. I had no idea how long I'd been running when I felt my legs burn up, but I just kept running. I didn't know where, I'm pretty sure I did at least three whole turns of all of Central City but I couldn't stop.

Running for me was like driving, where your mind could be at peace and you could think. I needed to think but I also needed to stop thinking. The more I thought, the more I remembered her. My chest tightened every time I thought of her soft kisses on my lips and I missed the smell of her blond hair. Even when she was sweating like crazy she would smell like honey. It was so sweet and I loved it almost as much as I loved her.

After a while, I just stopped. I stopped took a deep breath, and screamed. It was a broken scream. At first I was just so angry, and then I started to think of her. And I ended up sobbing like a five year old. I don't know how long I cried or ran. When I came out of the cave, it was early morning, just after our mission and when I finally lifted my head from my folded knees, the sun was about half an hour from setting.

Suddenly, I could smell honey.

I looked at my surroundings and found myself at the edge of the woods right outside of Central City, on the small mountain top.

And then I realized that the place was familiar.

It was a place Artemis and I found one day when we had lunch at my house. We went out and drove out of Central City and the crowds.

Soon enough, I found the abandoned lodge where Artemis and I would hang out sometimes.

After our first visit, we decided this would be "our" place. Since the cave wasn't that much of a private place anymore, we decided to go to the lodge whenever we wanted a bit of intimacy, where even, most likely, Dick didn't know about.

In the lodge, there was an old double bed, a wooden round table, two plastic chairs Artemis and I brought, some of our clothes whenever we spent the weekend there, and in the cabinets were chips and other foods that would last a few weeks.

I stayed in the lodge for two weeks.

You'd probably think I'd go crazy not talking to anyone for two weeks, but no, I actually found peace there.

Sure it was kind of lonely but that was mostly because I believed the love of my life was dead.

One day I sat down on the soft grass and thought of Artemis again.

I was remembering one of our days here at the cabin.

"I would so love to live here someday," Artemis said as we looked at the lodge from a far.

I looked at her, admiring her beautiful face. "Okay," I said.

She looked back at me, smiling. "It would be so cool right?"

"One day, we will live here."

Artemis raised an eyebrow at me. "What?"

"Why not? I thought you wanted to," I said.

"I do," she said. "But—you're being ridiculous, Wally"

I put my hand in hers, wrapping my longer fingers over hers. "No it's not, Artemis," I kissed her softly and let my lips linger on hers for a little while longer. "I promise, one day we'll be living here in a big, warm house."

Her gray eyes looked a bit teary. She usually didn't like getting emotional, especially in front of people, even me. Artemis nodded a bit and laid her head on my shoulder. I put my arms around her, and kissed her honey scented hair.

_Artemis wouldn't want me to do this_, I thought.

She wouldn't want me to spend the rest of my life mourning for her. I wouldn't mind but if she were here, she would totally kick my butt. Artemis would want me to live my life as if she were there with me. Of course that's impossible but she would want me to try, I realized.

A few days later, I decided to stop hiding. I went down into the city and took the nearest zeta tube to Gotham City. I found myself in front of Artemis's old, beat up apartment door.

I hadn't even knocked when Paula opened the door for me. She too was still mourning. We decided to help each other out. That day, she cooked me some of her traditional Vietnamese food and in the afternoon; we ended up visiting Artemis's grave.

That ended up being our tradition. We would pay homage to her once a week and after or before, we would eat Mrs. Crock's amazing cooking.

* * *

We arrive in front of the Gotham City Graveyard. My hand was still intertwined with Artemis's and fortunately, she didn't seem to want to pull away either. I lead her through the small maze so swiftly. It was almost like I lived there, which would be really creepy but I didn't even hesitate to wonder if I had to turn left at Mr. Johnson or at Mrs. Stone. She just followed behind me as the winter breeze prickled the back of my neck.

Finally, we arrived at a small, marble plaque. I kneel down beside it like every time I do when I come here. I read the what's engraved on the plaque.

_Artemis Lian Crock_

_Beloved Daughter_

Suddenly feel cold as I remember the explosion and Artemis's last thoughts. She was thinking of me. Of all people, she decided to say goodbye to me. Out of nowhere, I start to shake violently.

Before I know it, thin but strong arms wrap around me and I lay my head on her shoulder this time.

"Shh, Wally. It's okay, Wally. Look, I'm still here," Artemis says in a soft and comforting voice. "I'm not going anywhere."

I don't know why but the words _do_ comfort me.

For so long, all I've ever wanted was to be close to her again, to be able to hug and kiss her again.

After my shaking goes down a bit, I turn to her and say, "You know, I dream of you."

"Really? Like what?" Her voice is still soft but I can tell she's really curious to know.

"They're mostly memories," I whisper. "Sometimes, I dream about your death. Sometimes, I remember how we would argue but end up making up anyway. My favorites are when I can remember what your lips taste like." Artemis blushes fiercely, which really isn't like her. "Sometimes, I dream about how life would be like if you hadn't died."

She stiffens a bit but quickly recovers. "And so how was life like?" Her voice was so gentle that I could barely hear her.

I smile a little bit. "I only have one word for it: heavenly."

Her cheeks turn even redder than before. And then I realize how close we've gotten. I can feel her breath on my neck and her beautiful gray eyes are looking up at me. Her blond hair was pushed back by the cold wind. I don't know how my hand ended up cupping her face but by that time, we were only half an inch apart, our lips were almost brushing.

Slowly, she mumbles, "I should have done this a long time ago."

I chuckle at the memory. "No kidding."

And then my lips are on hers and my other hand in tangled in her soft, blond hair. Both her arms are around my neck and I can feel her trying to come closer and I want to pull her closer too. Even as while we're kissing, I can still smell her. Artemis still smells like honey. I try to pull her closer but I already know she's as close as can be. Our bodies warm us against the cold wind.

After so long, I finally get to kiss her. And it's nothing but _heavenly_.

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**Okay, I know I do way too many time skips but the first version of this chapter happened the day after chapter 7 but as I was rewriting it, I just changed it. So, I hope you're not mad at me for going MIA on you guys! SORRY AND PLEASE REVIEW!**


	9. Chapter 9

**I'm so sorry. I know I said I'd update more but I got really caught up and I was planning on writing this week but I went on a field trip (WENT SURFING! Wootwoot!) but my mom didn't let me bring my laptop so I couldn't write. And this chapter's a bit short and boring but I swear, the next will be good. Hope you'll forgive me and PLEASE REVIEW!**

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Artemis: Stupid In Love

I have to admit, calling Wally my boyfriend was…odd. Not in a bad way but in…an interesting way. Being with him brought up a lot of memories. Not all of them were good.

But I love how he presses his lips against mine. I love how he wraps his arms around me and I feel so at home. I love how his green eyes shine and how my heart rockets when I see him.

I had forgotten how love felt.

And now I remember.

I remember how in my first months with the Team, before Wally and I got together, my heart ached for him. I would never have admitted it out loud but, Kid Mouth had that thing that made me go crazy. No, it wasn't because of his adeptness but it was a part of that, but it was how he loved me.

I remember how he would whisper those sweet words into my ears and I would believe them every time.

Not a lot of people have loved me in my life. My mother loves me, but that was different, she had spent my childhood in prison. Jade loves me, but sometimes I can't help but hate her for leaving me. And then there was my dad. My dad didn't love me. A blind person could see it. Lawrence Crock only cared about himself and his oh so precious reputation. During my so many years with him, he has never, not once, ever said the words to me. Not even like "I like you, daughter."

No, the closest thing he said to that was: "That ax kick wasn't bad, little girl. Now do it again."

The first time Jade told me his was dead, after I had regained my memories. I felt nothing but bliss.

So how come now, I had the sudden urge to go visit his grave?

I gritted my teeth in irritation.

I can't believe I'm saying this but I wish my father loved me. I hated him but if he might have given me just a little compassion, maybe I would love him too.

And maybe that's just it. Dad treated me like I was, I don't know, his student? Only I was the student he despised.

Sometimes I wonder if staying in that hell of a house was worth it. I mean I love my mom but was all that torture worth it?

I didn't mean to think selfishly but every breathing being does every now and then and if I had a chance to go back and chose to run away like Jade, I would have.

Guilt crept through me.

Only I wouldn't have changed my decision.

I might as well be the guiltiest person in the universe but I would _never_ go back.

I was snap back into reality as Wally placed a small peck on my cheek.

We're sitting in my living room, in Jade's house. Wally tends to visit often and I would swing by the cave every now and then.

Wally sits down beside me, on the cheap orange couch Jade bought in some flee store.

"How was your day?" I ask him.

He slips his arm around me shoulders, trying to be discrete but he might as well have been holding a sign that said: _ROMANTIC GESTURE!_

"It was okay," Wally replies. "We trained and Bats' making us check out this so called abandoned warehouse located somewhere in New Mexico tonight.

I sigh in disappointment.

"Huh, that means you're cancelling the movie?" I say.

That's when Wally shows me a sly grin.

"Actually, I was thinking we could watch it now," he suggests.

I smile at him.

"Okay," I lean into him and kiss him gently. "You go prepare the popcorn and I'll go get the movie upstairs."

I get up, run up to my bedroom and take the DVD placed on my desk. And as I'm about to run back down downstairs, my eyes catch the photograph lying on my dresser.

I had recently framed it. It was a picture of Wally and I, smiling at the camera. We were at the cave. It was taken back when we were 16 and the Team was celebrating its 1st anniversary.

Nobody had been really thinking about it but M'gann had planned most of it along with Zatanna.

The party had been fun. We were only a few members back then but we had a blast. Black Canary, Flash, Green Arrow and Captain Marvel joined us. Billy was only around 11 by then but it always shocked me how he was actually only 3 years younger than our youngest member, Robin. And he was in the big league.

I really looked up to Billy. I saw him last week and was appalled with how much he had grown. I swear, if was still 14, I would have gone out with him a day after we met.

He wasn't hot or anything. He was skinny actually, but tall and had lean muscles. He had a nice jaw shape and I thought it was cute how his long hair curtained his forehead and his eyes.

Strangely, he reminded me of Rob—oops, I mean Nightwing when he was 14.

Physically, Nightwing didn't change between the ages 13 and 14. He had grown slightly taller but he didn't hit puberty until 15 (and a half). But mentally, he could have been a totally different person. He was smart(er) and a lot more mature, which made me miss the 13 year old.

Ever since I woke up in the cave, I haven't heard him say a single RobWord.

"Totally feeling the aster."

I turned around and found Wally leaning against the door frame. He had his arms crossed over his chest and a look of concern in his eyes.

I turned my attention back to the photograph. It only represented Wally and me but there were so many storied behind it. I could go on forever talking about them.

"How come he doesn't say that anymore?" I ask Wally.

My back was to him but I felt his body warmth close to mine.

"He stopped after you die—got amnesia," Wally said.

"You know, I wasn't the only one affected by your…disappearance, Artemis," Wally continued after a few seconds. "SB punched a hole through the cave's wall. Kaldur refused to touch sea water for a whole week—Tula for almost a month. Even Wolf almost stopped howling… M'gann, she actually stopped baking for almost two months. Zatanna, _oh_ _God_, Zatanna, she locked herself in her room and the only one who was able to talk to her was Nightwing. She didn't leave the room for three weeks. Nightwing would bring her food and water and she refused to train. GA quit from the League for _five months_. And until now he refuses to train a new partner. And I can honestly tell you that I have never seen Babs so depressed in my entire life."

I manage to choke down a sob but Wally put his arms around me anyway. I dig my face into his shoulder and let him squeeze me.

Ever since I woke up, I've never felt so useless in my whole life. I tried to stay strong, like I always have but end up breaking down and I always need Wally. I seriously hate it.

I can feel Wally's jaw tighten and feel my legs failing under me. If Wally hadn't been there, I would have fallen but first on the floor.

I let him continue to hug me. I hate myself for feeling so weak but I can't help but love the feeling of his skin against mine.

"I have to show you something," Wally whispers into my ear.

After I calm down, we ditch the movie. Wally and I drive around Central City for a while and suddenly, we're teenagers again.

* * *

I stare at the house in front of me.

It's a two story house with an attic and basement. The outside walls are decorated with bricks and vines are just starting to grow on them. There's a balcony placed right on top of the front door and a small mailbox that looks like a tiny birdhouse.

Wally's by my side, staring at me.

My eyes are wide and my jaw is dropped. Just behind the house are the woods and behind me is Central City.

The old, beat up shack wasn't there anymore but I could recognize the place without it.

"You built the house," I say without thinking.

Wally takes a step closer to me and nods.

"Yeah, just finished it last year," he tells me.

"You…you kept your promise."

He smirks at me. "Don't I always?"

Wally invites me to his home and he explains his breakdown after my "death".

During that moment, I have never felt so guilty in my life. I practically ruined someone's life because I wasn't there. I didn't think it was possible but after what Wally tells me, I can't help imagining life without him.

And I know he was a lot stronger than I would have been.

That night, Wally and I just cuddled on his super comfortable couch and I ended up falling asleep with him. His arms were around me as I laid my head on his chest. His soft breathing tickled my face and mine tickled his neck. From time to time, he would run his fingers through my hair and I would lay soft kisses on his neck while he pressed his soft lips against my temple.

The next day, I'm able to talk to Nightwing. It was odd looking up at him but I didn't really mind the view. After our conversation, he called the rest of the Team to the training room.

Wally walks through the doors (last like always) and I can tell he's surprised to see me at Mount Justice.

"Guys, I'd like you to meet your newest teammate, Artemis," Nightwing announced.

And I know I hurt Wally. And I know it's stupid.

And for the first time since I woke up, I know I'm in love.

* * *

**I know it's short but i swear the next will be longer! I hope you're okay with this chapter and PLEASE REVIEW! PS: I might be singing for the xmas party of my school and I was thinking of singing Turning Tables? Any suggestions?**


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